He was the son of English parents from Bristol, John Leader (1862-1922), a sign writer, and Ellen "Nellie" Allen (1865-1937) who had married in Bedminster in 1883 before moving to Cardiff where they began their family of eleven children.

Archibald first appears on the 1891 census as a one-year-old infant, living with his family at 3 Wellington Terrace, St John, Cardiff. By 1901 they were s at 123 Penarth Road, Cardiff and his father was by now working as a house decorator.

The family relocated to Hampshire sometime after this; his mother and siblings appeared on the 1911 census living at 18 Harcourt Road, Southampton whilst his father was back in Wales, still working as a decorator and boarding at 22 Taff Embankment in Cardiff. Archibald was shown living as a boarder at 13 Fanshawe Street, Southampton; his profession was listed as a baker and confectioner and he was unmarried. His neighbours at number 14 were the Hopkins family whose young son Frederick would also go on to serve aboard Titanic.

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, Leader was still boarding at 13 Fanshawe Street. His previous ship had been the Olympic and as assistant confectioner he received monthly wages of £5, 10s.

Archibald Leader died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His family continued to live in Hampshire, later relocating to Christchurch: his father died in 1922 and his mother in 1937.

(Crown copyright, used with permission)

Notes

On crew agreements his birthplace is listed as Wells (Somerset), possibly due to the list compiler misunderstanding Mr Leader's accent.